GEORGE ROBERTS: Dr Sidney Jones is often applauded for her intricate knowledge of Indonesia's terror cells.

Now in a speech to journalists the International Crisis Group's expert says Indonesia terror squad needs to take a look at itself.

SIDNEY JONES: I think the police need to be careful about the way that operations are conducted just so as not to give fuel to the jihadi movement that is still alive even if not well.

GEORGE ROBERTS: Police became the number one enemy of terrorist splinter cells when the crack squad Detachment 88 broke up a training camp in Aceh in 2010.

That's moved the focus away from Western targets.

SIDNEY JONES: If you figure there were nine groups or so operating there when they disbursed after the camp was broken up, everybody knew someone, directly or indirectly, that had been killed or arrested through that. So that's when, more than any other time, the police became the number one enemy.

GEORGE ROBERTS: Dr Jones says 50 terror suspects have been killed by Indonesian police since 2010 and there's been a correlating increase in targeted police killings.

SIDNEY JONES: The more deaths that you have at police hands, it's just going to increase that. It's going to give more motivation to more people to get involved in the movement.

Indonesia's a place where we haven't had really strong local drivers. There hasn't been a rationale for why people would want to use violence. But once you get all of these people getting killed, it changes the equation and it also brings more people into the possible recruiting pool.

GEORGE ROBERTS: Indonesia's National Police spokesman Boy Rafli told the ABC it's just an opinion not worth commenting on.

But last month Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid, or JAT, which was started by the convicted terrorist Abu Bakar Bashir, also warned of revenge.

Its spokesman Son Hadi said shooting suspects was unlawful and would encourage more terrorism.

From the Archives

Around 500 Indigenous people fought in the First World War, and as many as 5,000 in the second. But many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diggers who made it home received little or no recognition for their contribution. On Anzac Day, 2007, the first parade to commemorate their efforts and bravery was held in Sydney. Listen to our report from that day by Lindy Kerin.